System for operating burners by means of liquid fuel.



C. A. BROWN.

SYSTEM FOR OPERATING BURNERSBY MEANS OF LIQUID FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1913.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- 273237265565: I v RUGfZZ'Of f charm? fl. Bro wfl/ X 15 M Kw 1 mm P C. A. BROWN.

SYSTEM FOR OPERATING BURN ERS BY MEANS OF LIQUID FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22,1913.

1,160,371. Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

wizfiaaes: Znzyazzior CHARLES A. BROWN, F HINSIDALE, ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM FOR OPERATING BURNERS BY MEANS OF LIQUID FUEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

Application filed November 22, 1913. Serial N 0. 802,441.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hinsdale, in the county of Dupage and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Systems for Operating Burners by Means of Liquid Fuel, of

which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. My invention relates to an improved system for operating burners by means of liquid fuel and the control of such systems so that the amount of fuel supplied at any time may be regulated automatically according to the demand made upon the burner.

My invention has particular application to, burners for boilers and it is intended to utilize liquid fuel requiring special means for vaporizing it, so that it may be burned in the burner. Difliculty has been experienced in the past in providing a reliable means for vaporizing the heavier fuel oils and it is an object of my invention to pro vide improved devices for heating the fuel oil sothat it may be supplied to the burner in a gaseous condition and projected into the burner by a suitable blast, if desired, so as to produce the desired intensity of heat.

My invention further provides means for regulating the operation of the heating mechanism employed to vaporize the liquid fuel and to also control the amount of fuel supplied to the burner according to the demands Inade'upon the boiler heated by the burner.

The several drawings illustrating my invention are as follows:

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a system in accordance with my invention, in which the fuel is heated initially electrically and the electrical devices are automatically controlled to be rendered inoperative when the burner supplied with the fuel is in normal operation. Fig. 2 is a view of some of the parts shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a modified embodiment of my invention, in which the heating and vaporizing of the liquid fuel is at all times accomplished by means of a burner auxiliary to the main burner. .Fig. 4 shows in cross-section a form of burner that may be employed in carrying out my inven tion.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, a boiler 1 is provided with a burner 2 of anyvdesired form, to which the fuel is supplied in gaseous condition through a pipe 3 provided with a control cock The other end of the pipe 3 extends to a heating chamber 5, surrounded by a heating coil 6 insulated from the chamber so that it may heat the same by the passage of electricity therethrough. The heating chamber 5 has connected with it a supply pipe 7 controlled by a cock 8 to determine the amount of liquid fuel which may be supplied from the tank 9 through the pipe 7 to the heating chamber 5. The heating chamber 5 is surrounded by a casing 10, communicating bymeans of a pipe 11 with the casing 12 surrounding the boiler 1.

The burner 2 is supplied at starting with air delivered to it through a pipe 13, communicating with the pipe 3 so that the air and vaporized fuel may be thoroughly mixed when they pass into the burner 2 and the pipe 13 is enlarged at its lower end to contain a fan. lit, driven by an electric motor 15, which, when it is run in the direction indicated by the arrow, forces air upward through the enlarged lower end of the pipe 13 and into the burner 2. The motor 15 is provided with a commutator 16,.upon which suitable brushes rest, which brushes are connected by wires 17 and 18 with one terminal of the storage battery 19 and one terminal of the heating coil 6, respectively. The other terminal of the coil 6 is connected by wire, 20 with the other terminal of thebattery 19. The shaft 21 of the motor 15 is rigidly connected with the cylindrical shell 22 of a roller clutch, the inner element 23 of which is rigidly secured to the shaft 24 of a generator 25, provided with a commutator 26, the brushes of which are connected by wires 27 and 28 with the wires 17 and 20, respectively, and thus with the terminals of the storage battery 19; The construction '25 exceeds that of the the rollers 23 disk 23 and the flange 22, thus locking said 7 of the roller clutch is indicated more clearly in Fig. 2. 'When the speed of the generator motor obviously disk 23 exceeds that of the or flange 22. Consequently become wedged between the the speed of the cylindrical she 36 communicatingwith the boiler 1. The

steammain 36 also. supplies a steam jet 37 through a pipe 38,an d controlling cock 39,

sothat the steam jet may be employed "to produce a blast in the burner when de sired.

" As a result of the construction described,

7 when it is desired to heat the boiler 1, the

switch 40in the wire 18 is'closed, as is the switch {11 in the wire 28, with the result that current from the battery 19 is caused to. flow through the motor 15 and the heating permitted a pipe 3 and cock 4 .tothe burner 2." The fuel coil 6. The cocks '8 and 4 are opened sothat a -proper amount of liquid fuel is supplied from the tank .9 to the heating chamber 5 to pass, in turn, through the thus supplied to the pipe'13 of the burner 2 1s mixed'w th 'air projecting into the pipe 13 by l-the "fan .1 which condition continues "tannins-steam generated b the boiler 1 is of suificient' pressure to operate the engine j 33, at which time the cock 35 is opened'and the generator 25 is started. With the in-' crease of pressure in'the boiler 1, the speed of operation of the engine 33 and generator 25 increased .until the shaft 24 iszrotating at the speed of the shaft 21. Whenthe speed of 'the'generator isincreased above this point, roller clutch comes into operation and drives the shaft 21 and the fan 14: somevifhat' 'faster'than the voltage impressed upon the"coihmutator,1 6 would drive the'motor 15, as a resiilt of which the counter-electromotive orce inthe motor is increased and the current flowing from the battery 19 the motor is nearly or quite reduced to zero. f'Th s' condition constitutes the operat-' :condition of the mechanism and it will be observed'that, with the decrease of current flow through the motor for the reason descr-ihedgthe current flowing through the heating coil 6' is also decreased .hearly or qu ite'to Zero. The heating ,ofthe chamber .51's taken care of iat-thistime by the'exhaiistgases fromthe boiler casing 12,'conductedby the p1 e' 1.1, to the casing 10 surroimding the heating chamber -and,'ther1e fore,"the're is'no need for the heating coil 6- ;to operate at this time.

It will be undertion v with a burner of the surface combustion ing ofthe boiler,

but ittwill be .stood that the battery may be employed below the pressure developed by the generator 25, the generator will at once serve to charge the battery 19 so thatat all times the battery 19 is maintained in-a practically charged condition. v

. It will be understood that, the burner 2 may be of any desired construction and that the burner may be used either with or without forced draft resulting fromthe operaof the steam jet 37 For example,

t pe, as indicated in section'in Fig. 4, it is or ,manyconditio-ns desirable that the pressure developed in the burner shall not exceed atmospheric pressure, whereas, for other types of burner, in which the bodyof the burner is closed and provided with outlet openings in one way or another, a forced draft maybe used to advantage. The system which therefore, a means for preheating the liquid fuel supplied to he burner during the startwhich preheating means is rendered inoperative automatically by the pressure developed in the boiler by the burner. If for any reason the steam demand upon the steam main 36 becomes excessiveso as to considerably reduce the steam is described provides, 4

pressure in the boiler so th atthe engine 33 7 flows therethrough, as 'well' as through the heating coil 6, which results iii'a greater heating of the fuel and the production of a larger amount of. heat at the burner 2 so that a greater pressure will be produced in the boiler 1. In other words, the engine33, the motor 15, the generator 25 and the heatingcoil 6 coiiperate to automaticallycontrol the amount of heating of the chamber 5 and theamout of heat that is produced by the burner 2 so'as to maintain the pressure developed in the boiler 1 as nearly as possible at a predetermined working value. Theswitches 10 and' ll, as well as the switch 43 in the lamp circuit are provided to-prevent draining current from the storage battery when thesystem is not in operation,

understood that it is not necessary to operate the switches 40 and 41 after starting the 'moter 15 in order to secure the control of'the systein just described.

In the modified arrangement shown in 3, theboiler 1 provided with a burner 2* supplied with vvapor fuel through 'a'lpipe 3? through "a control cock 4: froin a 5. The heating chamhe'ating chamber with liquid fuel through her '5 is supplied 9 In this construction,

.and the heating .of the casing 12 a pipe 7 having a control cock 8, said pipe 7 being connected with a fuel tank the boiler casing the boiler l but also the heating chamber 5, the heating chamber being separated from the boiler by a partition 44 and a baflle plate 45. The boiler shown in this construction is of the sectional type, so that each section generates steam from water supplied by a common water header 45* and delivers the steam thus produced to common steam header 46. An additional section or unit of the boiler is located at 47 between the partition 44 chamber 5, this additional or auxiliary unit being for the purpose of supplying steam through a pipe 48 to the pipe 13 extending downward, from the burner 2 An auxiliary 12 incloses not only burner 49 is located inside beneath the heating chamher 5 and this burner is supplied with gaseous fuel through a pipe 50, having located therein a control cock 51. The pipe 50 extends upward to the top ofa compressed gas tank 52 provided for starting the burner 49. A three-way cock 58, located in the pipe 50, is connected by a pipe 54 with the up per portion of the heating chamber 5 so that when the handle of the three-way cock is in the position indicated in dotted lines, communication between the tank 52 and the control cock 51 is interrupted and communication is established between the pipe 54 and the control cock 51. By this means, provision. is made'for using the gas from the compressed gas tank 52 only at starting and for running the burner 49 during the operation of the boiler 1 by fuel supplied by the heating tank 5 The operating levers of the control cocks 4 and 51 are connected by means of a link 55,,pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 56, the ot er end of which is connected by a link 57 with one arm of a bell crank lever 58, the other arm of which is pivotally connected with an operating rod 59 secured to the piston 60 contained in the regulating cylinder 61 connected with the steam header 46.- A spring 62 is disposed in the cylinder 61 to exert an initial tension upon the piston 60 to hold it in the position indicated against the stops in the cylinder so that a predetermined pressure must be developed in the boiler before the piston is operated bythe pressure developed. The rod 59 is also connected with the operating lever of the control cock 8". As a result of the connections described, when the pressure in the boiler. reaches a predetermined amount, determined by the adjustment of the spring 62, the cocks 8, 51 and 4, are operated so as to decrease the amount of liquid fuel supplied to the heating chamber 5, to reduce the amount of I burner 2 the steam fuel supplied to the burner 49 and to reduce the amount of fuel supplied to the pressure developed in the boiler decreases to permit the spring 62 to move the piston 60 back again to its normal position opening the various cocks referred to. The pipe 48, supplied with steam from the auxiliary boiler section 47, is provided for the purpose of projecting a steam jet into the lower end of the burner tube 13 so as to maintain a blast upon the burner 2*. i This pipe 48, however, is smaller than the tube 13 so that air may pass around it to mix with the gas projected by the pipe 3*? into the burner, as a result ofwhich the burner' will operate before the steam pressure is developed to a point sufficient to produce the blast by means of the pipe 48. The relation of the partition 44 and the bafiie plate 45 is such that the burner 49, during the starting condition, serves to heat not only the heating chamber 5 but also the auxiliary boiler unit 47, thus heating this auxiliary unit nearly or quite to the temperature required to send a steam blast into the burner 2. When the burner 2 is brought into operation, a part of theheat from it finds its way to the left of the partition 44 to assist somewhat in heating the auxiliary unit 47 of the boiler and the heating chamber 5 although this effect is not large in amount, owing to the fact that the burner 2 is disposed preferably wholly to the right of the partition 44.

The steam jet provided in both construetions for putting ablast upon the burner, it will beunderstood, secures the addedadvantage of producing an increased intensity of combustion owing to the decomposition which condition continues until resulting therefrom, so that the use of such a' steam blast is particularly desirable where intense heat is required.

It will be observed that, while I secure the regulation referred to in connection with Fig. 1 by means of the electrical devices em ployed, that I secure a similar regulation by means of mechanical devices in connection with the construction-shown in Fig. 3, for the spring 62 may be regulated if desired so that it is compressed for a considerable range of operating pressures in the steam header 46, which range extends much below the normal working'pressure of the steam in the header and that, for such adjustment, the regulating devices will operate as a. controlling means, not only for an excessive increase in' steam pressure, but also for a decrease in the steam pressure below its normal working value which, for the latter condition, will serve to increase the amount of fuel supplied to the burner, as well as .the temperature of the fuel thus supplied.

. .sired condition of the burner,

vices shown herein for carrying out my inas I may employmany equivalents vention 7 from the spirit thereof.

without departing What I claim is: F 1. In a fuel supply system for burners, the combination'of a fuel supply tank, a vaporizing receptacle connected with the tank, a burner connected with the vaporizing receptacle, means independent of ,said burner for heating the vaporizing receptacle, and automatic means for decreasing rupting the operation of said heating meanswhen the main burner is placed in operation, a second heating mechanism for heating the vaporizing receptacle during the operating condition of the burner and. automatic means governing the heating of said vaporizer. A

8. In a fuel supply system for burners,

the combination of a fuel supply tank, a vaporizing receptacle connected with the tank, a burner connected withthe vaporiz ing receptacle, independent means for heating the vaporizing receptacle, automatic means ing of the vaporizing receptacle when the fire produced by the burner exceedsa de. amount, and a blast jet for-forcing the draft in the burner.

4, In a system for burnmg liquid fuel, the

combination of a fuel tank, a vaporizing receptacle connected with the fuel tank, a

burner connected with the vaporizing'recep 'tacle', independent means for initially heating the vaporizing receptacle to start the operation of the burner, means for interrupting the operation of said heating means when the burner 1s placed 1n operation, a second heating mechanism for heating the vaporizing receptacle during the operating ing'the draft in the burner and automatic means governing said independent means.

5. In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank,.a burner,

mechanism independent of said burner between the fuel tank and burner for heating and vaporizing the fuel, and devices for automatically reducing the effect of th'e'heat-' ing mechanism when the ,burner is brought to its operating condition.

6. In a systemfor burning liquid fuel,

the combination of a fuel tank, a burner, in-

dependent mechanism between the tank and burner for heating and vaporizing the fuel,

for decreasing the degree of heata blast jet for force I vap said heating mechanism comprising a'first means for initially heating the fuel to start the operation means for heating the fuel during the operation of the burner, and means for automatically reducing the effect of the initial heating means when the burner is placed in operating condition. Q

7. In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a burner,inde. pendent mechanism between the tank and burner-for heating and vaporizing the fuel, a boiler associated with the burner, and mechanism operated bythe pressure produced in the boiler for reducing the effect of the independentheating mechanism.

8. In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a burner, independent mechanism' between the tank and burner for heating and vaporizing the fuel,

a boiler associated with the burner, and a steam jet operat'e'dby the steam produced in the boiler for producing the blast in the burner.

9. In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a burner, independent mechanism between the tank and burner for heating and vaporizing 'the fuel, a boiler associated with the burner, mecha: ,nism for heating and vaporizing by the gases of ating condition'of theburner and automatic means for reducing the effect of said independent mechanism; Q

' 10. In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a burner, a vaporizing chamber located between the fuel tank andthe burner, a boiler adapted to be heated by the burner, an electric heating coil associated with the vaporizing chamber,'a source of current for operating said coil, an electric motor an engine-driven generator having its termlnals connected of the burner, and a second.

the fuelcombustion during the operdriven from said source of current, a fan carried by the motor with thesource of current and driven by the engine, and clutch mechanism; between the 7 motor and generator for increasing the speed of the motor when the generator is brought up to its normal running speed.

In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a burner, a-

rizing chamber located between the fuel ta and the burner, a 'boiler adapted to be heated by theburner, an electric heating coil associated with, the vaporizing ohamber,a source ofcurrent for operating said coil, an

electric vmotor driven from. said source of :current, a fan carried by the motor shaft for producing a blast in the burner, an engine driven by the boiler, an electric generator having its terminals connected with the source of currentandi-driven by the engine,

and clutch mechanism between the motor and generator for increasing the speed of the motor when the generator is brought up to its normal runningspeed, said motor and said coil being connected in series with each other whereby the increased speed of the motor resulting from the operation of the generator stops the flow of current through the motor and coil. I

12. In a system for burningliquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a burner, a vaporizing chamber located between the fuel tank and the burner, a, boiler adapted to be heated by the burner, an electric heating coil associated with the vaporizing chamber, asource of current for operatingsaid coil, an electric motor driven from' said source of current, a fan carried by the motor shaft for producing a blast in the burner, an engine driven by the boiler, an electric generator having its terminals connected with thesource of curent and driven by theengine, clutch mechanism between the motor and generator for increasing the speed of the motor when the generator is brought up to its normal running speed, said mptor and said coil being connected in series with each other whereby the increased speed of the motor resulting from the operation of the generator stops the flow of current through the motor and coil, and devices for heating the vaporizing chamber by gases of combustion from said burner.

l3. In combination, a burner, a boiler associated with the burner, a fan for producing a blast in the burner, an electric motor for operating the fan, a source of current connected with the motor, an engine driven from the boiler, an electric generator driven from the engine, said generator being connectedwith the source of current, and clutch mechanism between the generator and motor for increasing the speed of the motor when the generator is brought up to. its normal running speed, whereby the current flow ing through the motor is reduced nearly or quite to zero. E 14. In combination, a burner, a boiler associated with the burner, a fan for producing a blast in the burner, an electric motor for operating the fan, a storage battery for driving the motor, an engine, driven by steam rom the boiler,'a generator driven by the engine, circuit connections extending from the generator to the storage battery, and clutch mechanism between the motor and generator for increasing the speed of the motor whenvthe generator is brought up to its normal running speed to reduce the flow of current through the motor and deliver current from the generator to the storage battery to charge the same. v

15. In a system for burning liquid fuel,

the combination of a fuel tank, amain burner, a boiler associated with the main burner, a vaporizing chamber between the fuel tank and the main' burner, an independent auxiliary burner associated with the vaporizing chamber, and automatic controlling devices operated by the pressure of the steam produced in the boiler for changing the amount of fuel vaporized and supplied to the main burner according to the pressure of the steam developed in the boiler.

16. In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a main burner, a boiler associated with the main burner, a vaporizing chamber between the fuel tank and the main burner, an independent auxiliary burner associated with the vaporizing chamber, and controlling devices operated by the pressure of the steam produced in the chamber, the quantity of fuel supplied to the auxiliary burner, and the quantity of fuel supplied to the main burner, according to the pressure of the the boiler. 4

17. In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a main burner, a boiler associated with the main burner, a vaporizing chamber between the fuel tank and the main burner,

boiler for varying the quantity -of,l1quid fuel supplied to the vaporizing an independsteam developed ,in

ent auxiliary burner associated with the vaporizing chamber, controlling devicesoperated by the pressure of the steam produced in the boiler for changing the amount of vaporized fuel supplied to the main burner according to the pressure of the steam developed in the boiler, tank for supplying the auxiliary burner with fuel to initially heat the vaporizing chamber.

18. In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of afuel tank, a main burner, a vaporizing chamber located between the fuel tank and the main burner, a burner for said chamber, a boiler associated with the main burner, and a common casing in'closing the boiler,

19.,In a system for burning liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a main burner, tween the fuel tank and the main burner, a boiler associated with the main burner, a common casing inclosing'. the boiler, the main burner and the vaporizing chamber, and a normally active auxiliary burner located in the casing for heating the vaporizing chamber.

and-a compressed gas the main burner and the vaporizing chamber.

a,vaporizing chamber located be-.

mallyactive. auxiliary burner located inthe casing for heating the vaporizing chamber, and devices for controlling the auxiliary burner and for cont-rolling the, quantity of fuel supplied to the main burner by the pressure of steam, developed in the boiler.

22. In a-system for burning liquid fuel,

the combination of a fueltank, a main burner, a vaporizing chamberlocated between the fuel tank and the main'burner, a boiler associated with the main burner,- a

common casing inclosing the boiler, the main burner and the vaporizing chamber, a nor- .mally active auxiliary burner located in-the casin for heating the vaporizing'chamber,

and evices'for controlling the quantity of fuel supplied to the vaporizing chamber, the q antity of fuel supplied to the main burner and the-quantity of fuel supplied to the auxiliary burnerby the pres'sureof steam developed in the boiler.

23. a system for burning liquid fuel,

the combination of a. fuelof said main burner and located betwe fuel tank and the main burner, aboiler as- .sociatedwith-the mainburner, a common casing inclosing the boiler, the mainburner and the vaporizing chamber, a normally active auxiliary the auxillary tank,- a main burner, avaporizing chamber" independent en'the' burner located'inthe-casing for heating the vaporizing chamber, a compressed gas tank, and mechanism for supplying the auxiliary burner with fuel from the, compressed gas tank;

' 24. In a system for burning. liquid fuel, the combination of a fuel tank, a main burner, a" vaporizing chamber independent ofsaid main burner and located between the fuel tankand the main burner, a boiler associated with the main burner, a common casing inclos g the boiler, the main burner and the ,vapori g chalnber, a normally active auxiliary for heating the vaporizingchamber, a com pressed gas tank, and devices for supplyingburner with fuel from said bu ner' located in the casing compressed gas tank or from said vaporizing chamber, as desired.

25. In a system for burning liquid fuel or the like, the combination ofa fuel supply tank, av burner, independent means between 'the tank and the burner for heating and vaporizing the fuel, a boiler associated with the burner and heated'thereby, said boiler adapted automatically to control the said independent heating and vaporizing means.

26. In-combination a fuel supply tank for supplying liquid fuel, a boiler, a burner for heating said boiler, independent vaporizing means for heating and vaporizing the liquid fuel prior to feeding the same to said burner, said vaporizing means being co n trolled by the steam generated in said boiler. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of November, A. D. 1913.

. Y QHARLES A. BROWN. Witnesses: I 1

A. G. MoCAmB, 7 AUGUS H. L; ARNDT. 

